Police say drugs found in a home on Albany Street in St. John's in September are consistent with that of a clandestine lab. As VOCM's Danielle Barron reports, no charges have been laid and the case is now closed.

The RNC sent three products to a Health Canada lab in Montreal for analysis. A mild hallucinogen, harmaline, was confirmed as were the ingredients used to make it: substances including sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, teratic acid, acetone, and an exotic tree bark. Inspector Marlene Jesso says the testing also confirmed the presence of pseudoephedrine and phenyl-2-propanol, which are used in the creation of methamphetamine. Red phosphorus, also used to create meth, was not found. The third product analysis, Jesso says, was what was believed to be dimethyltryptamine, also a hallucinogen, but that testing was inconclusive.

A separate tree bark, called psychotria viridis, was also found. Jesso says the drugs can be taken orally or smoked and described them as very potent because they do not metabolize, which ensures a long high. She says police believe because of the quantity and chemicals found they were used to manufacture illegal drugs. Jesso says the chemicals were 95.5 per cent pure and can only be bought at a chemical store.

Jesso says it's likely the substances were bought online. A small marijuana grow-op was also located. RNC say there is nothing to suggest other people would have been involved. A 43-year-old man who lived in the home later died in hospital as a result of unrelated health complications.

As a chemist this kind of stuff always intrigues me That guys mother can try to defend him all he wants, people have pseudoephederine for two reasons and two reasons only. The legitimate sinus problems, and the illegal reasons. Having stockpiles of solvents and reagents only pushes suspicions to the illegal side. Also, I wonder if the police are aware that pure red phosphorous is insanely difficult to obtain (it's too unstable), so most pseudo-drug-manufacturers will just use the shavings from a match striker, which is mainly made of red phosphorous

A man in Shetshashiu has been arrested for a violent attack against his wife.

RCMP said the couple had a disagreement last week, which escalated. Police said the man, 45, hit his wife, 43, in the head with a full case of beer and then hit her with a broken bottle, cutting her head.

The man was arrested Thursday and held for a bail hearing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

He's facing charges of assault with a weapon and breaching court orders.

Police added the woman's injuries were minor in nature and alcohol is believed to be a factor in the assault

The jury has reached a decision in the Steven Neville murder trial.
Neville was not found guilty of first-degree murder, but has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Doug Flynn, and guilty of the attempted murder of Ryan Dwyer.
VOCM's Janelle Kelly is at the courtroom and will have further details as they become available.

Steven Neville has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Doug Flynn, and guilty of the attempted murder of another man.

Neville had been charged with first-degree murder in the October 2010 stabbing death of Flynn on a street in a Paradise suburb. A St. John's jury returned a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Members of Flynn's family wept when they heard the verdict, which means an automatic sentence for Neville of 10 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador jury, which began its deliberations on Wednesday, returned the verdicts to a packed courtroom in downtown St. John's Friday afternoon.

The jury found Neville guilty of the attempted murder of Ryan Dwyer.

The defence, which had claimed Neville had acted in self defence, had cast Dwyer and Flynn as predators who had hunted Neville. There was evidence that Flynn and Dwyer had been hounding Neville for weeks leading up to the clash on Oct. 9, 2010, and that he tried to avoid them. But that night, Neville was in a car, spotted them, and jumped out.

Crown prosecutor Robin Fowler said that was probably a key element in the guilty verdict. During summations, he told the jury that if Neville had stayed in the vehicle, then nothing would have happened.

The Crown described Neville as being angry over remarks Dwyer had made about his mother on Facebook.

"They are dead, dead, dead, I'm stabbing them until they are squirting blood," Neville texted hours before the fatal early-morning encounter that left Flynn mortally wounded. He later died in hospital.

Neville's mother sat with her head down after the verdict was read.

There have not been any comments from the families involved.

Emotions were high during the proceedings, with one member of the jury also crying, as did one of Neville's lawyers, Rosellen Sullivan. Security was also reported to be tight, although no incidents were reported.

Because of the conviction on a second-degree murder charge, the jury was entitled to offer its opinion on whether Neville should wait for more than 10 years before he can apply for parole.

The jury, though, did not offer a recommendation to Justice Carl Thompson.

Gangsta rap culture cited during trial

The jury learned much about drugs, crime and the seedy underbelly of the St. John's area, with much of the evidence gleaned from text messages and social media posts that the principals had all made.

The court was told that Neville, Dwyer and others were low-level players in the cocaine trade. Nonetheless, they adopted the tough language of gangsta rap lyrics, and even emulated the violent imagery of songs they admired.

The defence had argued that Dwyer, who has admitted to dealing hard drugs in the past, had wanted to get back into the business and saw Neville as a threat.

One of Neville's lawyers, Peter Ralph, said they believed they had made a case for acquittals. He said there will likely be an appeal, but that's up to Neville. The next step is a sentencing hearing.

Pardy is accused of killing his former girlfriend Triffie Wadman on Oct. 1, 2011, in St. John's.

The case was called during arraignments at the court in St. John’s this morning, however, Pardy was not present.

Duty counsel Jason Edwards appeared on behalf of Pardy who has yet to secure a lawyer to represent him. Pardy had previously fired lawyer Jeff Brace with resulted in his trial, scheduled to go ahead last fall, not being able to proceed.

Edwards told the court today that Pardy was in hospital but did not say what the health issue was.

“I’m concerned too, so lets see what we can do to get this going,” said Dymond.

David Rogers, from the province’s Attorney General’s office, was present in court and told Dymond that Pardy had contacted the office about getting a lawyer but has not made an application. When the case was last called in court in December, it was set over to give Pardy time to obtain a lawyer. It has now been set over again to Feb. 22 for a status update.

The alleged incident occurred on Boggy Hall Place, off Forbes Street in the Topsail Road area of St. John’s.

Witnesses called the RNC around 1 a.m. that day, reporting a woman was lying in the street.

Wadman, of Freshwater, Placentia Bay, who lived in St. John's, was brought to hospital and treated for gunshot wounds. She died of her injuries.

Pardy, who grew up in Keels, Bonavista Bay, but lived in Mount Pearl, was taken into custody following a four-hour standoff with police following the shooting. He's been in custody ever since, having been denied bail.

He's pleaded not guilty to all three charges he faces: first-degree murder, using a firearm to commit a crime and having an unlicenced weapon (a 9-mm handgun).
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Meantime, the murder cases of Philip Pynn and Lyndon Malcolm Butler were also called in arraignment court today.

Pynn, 26, and Butler, 22, are jointly charged in connection with the death of Nick Winsor, who was shot and killed at a house on Portugal Cove Road in the capital city on July 9, 2011.

Both are charged with a slew of charges, including second-degree murder and attempted murder.

Pynn, who is in custody, and Butler, who was released from jail following a bail review, also face a charges of attempted robbery, possessing a handgun, assault with a weapon and possessing a weapon while prohibited.

As well, Pynn faces counts of pointing a firearm, breaching probation and breaching conditions of two undertakings.

Lawyers representing both accused indicated they are still waiting for decisions on pre-trial applications. The cases were set over to May 2 when trial dates are expected to be set.
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The case of David John Ryan was also called in arraignment court this morning.

Ryan was convicted of second-degree murder in May 2007 — in relation to a 2005 beating death of a man in Carbonear — but the conviction was later overturned by the Newfoundland Supreme Court of Appeal and a new trial ordered.

Ryan, who had been incarcerated since 2005, was granted bail last March after the appeals court decision.

St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham told the court today he is now representing Ryan for the retrial. Buckingham had represented Ryan during the appeal, but Ryan had represented himself during his initial trial for second-degree murder.
Pretrial discussions are to be held in the case on March 7 and a trial date will be set sometime after that.

There was a break and enter of the Guardian pharmacy down in Portugal Cove - St. Philips last night. Guess what was probably the motivation...

Motivation was definitely those pink valentine teddy bears that come with chocolates next to the counter.. Who doesn't love those things. If the thought of buying a ski mask and glass cutter as well as gaining security breaching training to swipe those teddy bears in the middle of the night crossed my mind, it definitely must have crossed another persons mind. That person must have already had the glass cutters..

So much corruption in people today.. what next? Holding up McDonald's for some white and brown lettuce??

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) General Investigation Unit is requesting the assistance of the general public in identifying the person responsible for an armed robbery that occurred at an Ultramar gas station on Freshwater Road in St. John’s, Feb. 5.

According to police, the male suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene.

The male suspect is described as being between 5’5” and 5’6”, medium build, wearing a black winter jacket, black track pants with a white or gray stripe, white sneakers, and white and blue gloves. He carried what appeared to be a handgun at the time of the offence.

Anyone who has information that would assist in identifying the person responsible or anyone that may have any information in relation to this crime are asked to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) General Investigation Unit is requesting the assistance of the general public in identifying the person responsible for an armed robbery at Arizona Heat on Ropewalk Lane in St. John's on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The RNC said around 8:20 p.m., patrol officers, K-9, Forensic Identification and Criminal Investigation Division members responded to an armed robbery at the business.

A male suspect entered the store and demanded cash before fleeing the scene. There were no injuries sustained during the commission of the offence.
The male suspect is described as approximately five feet, nine inches to five feet, 10 inches and 150 lbs. At the time of the incident he was wearing jeans, black and white gloves and a black and green jacket with hood up, concealing his face.

It's believed the man casually left the scene on foot and headed towards Cashin Avenue. There were a number of motorists on the road at the time of the incident who may have seen the suspect, but did not realize it at the time.

The RNC is asking anyone with information in relation to this crime to contact police at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). People can also provide information anonymously on the N.L. Crime Stoppers Website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is seeking the assistance of the general public in locating 31-year-old John Edward Murray for his alleged involvement in an incident that occurred in the Ropewalk Lane area of St. John's on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Murray is wanted for assault with a weapon, theft and various breaches of court orders.

He's described as being approximately five feet, seven inches tall, 175 lbs, with blue eyes and blonde hair. The RNC says he has several tattoos, a cross on his right upper arm, shark on his left upper arm and a tattoo on his chest.

The RNC General Investigation Unit is continuing the search and is seeking the assistance of the general public. Anyone who has any information pertaining to Murray's whereabouts is asked to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). People can also provide information anonymously on the N.L. Crime Stoppers website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.

And while I, as well as the police, don't suspect foul play in this I may as well post this just in case anyone hasn't seen it. This guy appears to be friends with a lot of people I know, and his disappearance has been quite unusual. He was in a supposed dispute in the downtown George Street area with an unknown male the night of his disappearance, but I don't believe that has anything to do with this case. The more people who know about this the better.

Quote:

Police seeking public help after reported sightings of missing man

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Joshua Miller, 20. After an extensive search last week for the missing man, police said in a news release Friday evening that someone reported seeing Miller Friday morning, about 8 a.m, in the area of Baird Place in St. John’s. Additional information suggested Miller may have also been seen in the area of the Avalon Mall mid afternoon on Feb. 8. The RNC is working to confirm the sightings were of the missing man.

Miller is 6’1” and approximately 185 lbs. He has blue eyes, short sandy hair and when last seen was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. The RNC major crime unit is continuing its search for Miller.

Anyone who can provide information is asked to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Information can also be provided anonymously at the website nlcrimestoppers.com.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) General Investigation Unit is requesting the assistance of the general public in identifying the person responsible for an armed robbery at the Esso station on Empire Avenue in St. John’s.

Police say a male suspect entered the store and demanded cash and cigarettes before fleeing the scene on a pedal bike. There were no injuries sustained during the commission of the offence.

The male suspect is described as approximately 5’10” ft with a medium build. His face was concealed at the time of the incident.

The RNC is asking anyone that may have information in relation to this crime to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). People can also provide information anonymously on the N.L. Crime Stoppers website at: www.nlcrimestoppers.com

... Earlier story ...

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is investigating an armed robbery at a business on Empire Avenue on the weekend.

RNC officers responded to the call around 8:15 a.m. Sunday.

According to police, a lone male, with his face partially covered carrying a weapon, demanded cash and cigarettes. The suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Around 4:35 p.m. Sunday, RNC members responded to a theft from a business in the center of the city. As a result a 31-year-old male was charged with theft under $5,000 and two breaches of court orders. He was held in custody until a court appearance.

And, around 10 p.m. Sunday, a 30-year-old man was arrested in the east end of St. John's for uttering threats and a Canada Wide warrant. Officers arrested the man after a short foot pursuit. He was held for court.

The RNC has charged a 42-year-old man in connection with an armed robbery at the Canadian Tire Gas Bar on Merchant Drive in Mount Pearl on Feb. 19.
The RNC had released a surveillance video of the armed robbery to the media.

CLICK HERE for video.

About 9:40 p.m. on Feb. 19, RNC officers from patrol services, K9, forensic identification and the criminal investigation division responded to the armed robbery. A male suspect was seen on the video entering the store and demanding cash and cigarettes before fleeing the scene. The suspect also stole a quantity of lottery tickets.

The charges against the accused include armed robbery and disguise with intent. He was to appear in provincial court Monday.

The investigation into the armed robbery is continuing.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary General Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate this incident and is asking anyone that may have any information in relation to this incident to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). You can provide information anonymously on the NL Crime Stoppers website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.

Rabbittown has a REALLY bad reputation but I think most people would agree it's the type of neighbourhood where people leave and go downtown to commit their crimes. I wouldn't expect much to actually happen IN Rabbittown, but I wouldn't be surprised if anyone arrested robbing the Ultramar on Waldegrave to be from there.

Same with my neighbourhood by the Circle.

__________________Note to self: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence."